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Governance and Evolution in Blockchains and Cross-Chain Decentralised Autonomous Organisations

Abstract

Advancements in decentralised systems and organisations have revolutionised how systems evolve and are governed. However, system evolution in decentralised environments is inherently risky, often causing unintended consequences that can impact the system and its community. This thesis investigates governance and evolutionary processes in decentralised ecosystems, drawing insights from blockchain consensus mechanisms to Cross-Chain Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (XDAOs). The research primarily relies on empirical data from primary sources, applying qualitative analysis and risk assessment methodologies to extract fundamental findings on these emerging topics. The thesis identifies key stakeholders and processes that drive governance and evolution in decentralised systems. This thesis makes several contributions. It presents new techniques and risk assessments for consensus evolution, establishes structured frameworks for governing consensus changes, and deepens the understanding of cross-chain security and architectures by examining attack surfaces, vulnerabilities, and mitigation strategies. Additionally, it provides insights into the governance and evolution in XDAOs, highlighting challenges and dynamics of cross-chain coordination.
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Category

Doctoral thesis

Language

English

Author(s)

  • Jakob Svennevik Notland
  • Jingyue Li
  • Mariusz Nowostawski
  • Maria Letizia Jaccheri
  • Peter Halland Haro

Affiliation

  • SINTEF Group Head Office
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Year

2025

Publisher

NTNU Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet

Issue

2025:344

ISBN

9788232692835

View this publication at Norwegian Research Information Repository